VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL
April, 2010
Since 2006, Massachusetts residents have been required to buy health insurance or be penalized on their taxes. The Mass. model was used as the platform for the democrats in Washington and President Obama when touting the National Health Care Bill. Democrats like Pelosi, Reid and the Mass. congressional delegation, (except Lynch), supporting the national health care bill using the Massachusetts model as the example of success for the national bill.
Well, the wonderful Massachusetts health care ride is over. And it has crashed and burned. This week, five of the six state health insurance companies sued the state for the way they are regulating premiums and refusing to allow insurers to raise their premium rates to cover costs.
In retaliation, state officials have taken those five insurance companies off of the website; the Massachusetts Health Connector, which is the official state website where individuals, families and employers go to purchase health insurance.
The website now only offers one insurance carrier, CeltiCare.
The website states “The Massachusetts Division of Insurance recently disapproved many of the premium rates proposed by insurers. The decision does not apply to CeltiCare. The ruling pertains to plans effective April 1, 2010 and later. It also applies to all distribution channels, including the Health Connector. With the exception of CeltiCare, insurers must withdraw their Commonwealth Choice plans until they recalculate their rates to comply with the ruling.”
So, now Massachusetts residents have NO choice. A monopoly has ben created giving all of state’s health insurance business to CeltiCare.
This is the direction national health care is going in. We are told we can keep our doctor and our insurance until the state eliminates all competiton and we are stuck with what they allow us to purchase. This is the model Washington, President Obama and our congressional delegates have imposed on the rest of the country. This is Governor Deval Patrick’s and President Obama’s plan: put insurance companies out of business and have a single government plan. Universal health care for everyone.
Stalin would be proud!